Chapter 17: Infectious Diseases Infecting the Nervous System

Question 1

CNS consists of

Answer 1

1. Brain
2. Spinal Cord

Question 2

PNS consists of

Answer 2

• nerves from the CNS
• sense organs and periphery of the body

Question 3

Defenses of the nervous system

Answer 3

• Bony casings
  
  • protect from trauma
• CSF
  
  • provides cushioning function
• Cells that makeup blood vessels (Blood-brain barrier)
  
  • allow only certain molecules through
• Macrophages
  
  • have phagocytic abilities
• No microorganisms allowed

Question 4

These viruses live in a dormant state in the nervous system, but are not considered resident biota

Answer 4

Herpes virus

Question 5

Meningitis

Answer 5

• Inflammation of the meninges
  
  • can be caused by a number of microorganisms and infections

Question 6

Causative agents of Meningitis

Answer 6

1. Streptococcus pneumoniae
   
   1. small, gram-positive flattened coccus
2. Neisseria meningitidis
   
   1. gram-negative diplococci
3. Haemophilus influenzae virus
   
   1. very acute but rare since vaccine
4. Cryptococcus neoformans
   
   1. fungus

Question 7

Causative agents of neonatal menigitis

Answer 7

1. Streptococcus agalactiae
2. Escheria coli
3. Listeria monocytogenes

Question 8

Poliomyelitis

Answer 8

Acute viral infection of the spinal cord hat can cause neuromuscular paralysis also known as infantile paralysis

Question 9

Cause of poliomyelitis

Answer 9

• Small RNA viruses
  
  • enterovirus group
  • Picornavirus family (pico=small)
• highly contagious person to person and via poo

Question 10

Encephalitis

Answer 10

• inflammation of the brain
  
  • always a serious condition as tissues of the brain are extremely sensative to the inflammatory response

Question 11

Acute Encephalitis

Answer 11

• almost always caused by viruses borne by insects (arboviruses)
• West Nile Virus and Herpes Virus

Question 12

Herpes Simplex Virus

Answer 12

• Herpes simplex type 1 and 2 viruses cause

encephalitis in newborns born to HSV-positive mothers

* adults are still suseptible * Varicella-zoster virus can also cause encephilitis

Question 13

Prions

Answer 13

• Proteinaceous infectious particles
  
  • contain no genetic material
• causes TSE’s

Question 14

transmissible spongiform encephalopathies

Answer 14

neurodegenerative diseases with long incubation periods but rapid progressions

Question 15

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease

Answer 15

a degenerative neurological disorder that is incurable and invariably fatal also called as human form of mad cow disease

Question 16

Rabies

Answer 16

• Slow, progressive zoonotic disease
• fatal encephalitis
• fever, nausea, vomiting, headache, fatigue, and other nonspecific symptoms

Question 17

How to treat rabies

Answer 17

wound is infused with human rabies immune globulin (HRIG)

Question 18

Tetanus

Answer 18

Produces Tetanospasmin powerful neurotoxin and causes Neuromuscular disease also known as “lockjaw”; Neonatal tetanus

Question 19

Causative agent of tetanus

Answer 19

• Clostridium tetani
  
  • gram+, spore-forming bacillus

Question 20

Tetanus treatment

Answer 20

Vaccination

Question 21

Botulism

Answer 21

• produces exotoxin called botulinum toxin ;
• muscular paralysis, respiratory compromise leading to death.

Question 22

Treatment of botulism

Answer 22

CDC maintains supply of antitoxin

Question 23

Which of the following organisms is not a cause of meningitis?

A. Neisseria meningitidis

B. Haemophilus influenzae

C. Cryptococcus neoformans

D. Clostridium tetani

E. Listeria monocytogenes

Answer 23

D. Clostridium tetani

Question 24

Causative agents of “Encephalitis”

Answer 24

1. Arboviruses
2. Herpes simplex virus type 1 or 2
3. JC virus

Question 25

Causative agents of “Subacute Encephalitis”

Answer 25

1. Toxoplasma gondii
2. Prions

Question 26

Causative agents of “Meningoencephalitis”

Answer 26

1. Naegleria fowleri
2. Acanthamoeba

Question 27

Causative agents of Meningitis

Answer 27

1. Neisseria meningitidis
2. Streptococcus pneumoniae
3. Haemophilus influenzae
4. Listeria monocytogenes
5. Cryptococcus neoformans
6. Coccidioides species
7. Various viruses